Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-09-29

pest lOr early use.
FRESH WOOD ASHES.
Farmers are frequently advised to
save and use all wood ashes; but their
use requires some discretion. On sandy
soil potash is usually deficient; but
ashes from soft woods contain little OF
this. Fresh ashes are not q manure
until their caustic potash has become
mellowed by exposure to the air. This,
however. is done very rapidly in damp
places, and the pc fash in the ash unit
ing with ammonia in the soil soon
becomes valuable fertilizer.
SORGHUM TO RESIST DROUGHT.
Sorghum grows slowly at first, but it
gains rapidly on corn when it once
gets firmly rooted and has far greater
ablity TO withstand drought. Its roots
strike down deeply and have much
greater hardness of texture than corn
roots Corn stubble, after a Winters
exposure, will be looscned in the soil so
that it will break off or be turned up
with the drsg, while sorghum roots
under similar circumstances will be
firm in the ground. and will take most
of next Summer to break in pieces.
OLD AND THIN SHEEP.
A sheep that has had no lamb ought
at TIL season to be fat. If not, it is
probably so old that its teeth are poor
and digestion is impaired. 1t requires
careful management to get such an
animal in good feeding condition. A
very few oats given daily and increased
very gradually is the best grain feed.
Their bulkiness distends the stomach,
and thus prevents the cloying sure to
result from feeding corn. Old sheep
should be fattened and sold without
loss of time. 1t will be d flicult to
make them live through the Winter,
and if thcy do they will not DO worth
as much next Spring as they are now
THE SECOND CROP OF POTATO BUGS.
The potato bug produces two and, in
some long seasons, three brOods in
year. 1t is the second that is
most apt to be destructive. Before
harvest the potato grower keeps
them down by frequent doses of Paris
green; but when the busy time comes
he is apt to think that few bugs can
| do no harm, that the vines have grown
so large. Unfortunately. this is also
| mt IN hn hnt IA t,rbn IN
beetle breeds fastest. Almost before
the farmcs knows it, the vines will be
nearly stripped, and it is then too late
for them to put forth now leaves. Many
good crops cared for thoroughly early
in the season arc ruined for lack of IA
little attention just at tho last.
| GRAINING HORSES IN SUMNER.
Comparatively little cut feed is given
to horses in hot weather 1t requ res
especial care to prevent souring in the
managers. and this is enough to get any
horse off his feet After every feed
of whole oats the managers should
be thoroughly brushed out and the
scattering grain given to the poultry
or thrown into the swill barrel fol
the pigs. On no account should
fowls be allowed access to tn,
horses stables either during OF after
feeding. A hen will soon become ex
ceedingly tame and impudent eatin!
grain out of the feed box under
, horses nose, and in a short time turn
ing the more delicate feeder away il
disgust The appetites of most horse
/ arc less hearty during hot woathe
. than in cold OF winter. They need les
) grain but greater care in feeding.
WHEAT AMONG CORN.
In some parts of the West wheat j
most successful when sown among cor
just as the latter is ripening and GU
tivated in lightly between the rows. b
, working both ways almost the entire SUI
face is covered with grain. The corn
D stalks are left uncut. the corn bein
| plucked and drawn to the crib in tn
: husk. This plan seems to be especial
Y adapted to prairics, where the wind ha
: an unbroken sweep. 1t looks slovenly
= but the stalks in the field serve an in
o portant purpose in holding snow owe
e the wheat, and often in preventing tn
: soil itself from being blown away
fierce winds. In Eastern States tn
9 stalks are considered too valuable fc
4 this use, and if wheat is sown after cor
y it is always after cutting. then leavin
IS until later the rows where the stool
: stood. No blowing is needed, on
. enough cultivation to level the surfat
|. and cover the seed.
IS TwO-YEAR OLD GRAPE VINES.
J. Most experienced fruit growers pr
e fer to plant vines with one-year-ol
% roots, though with special preparatio
D. two. year-olds may be made even bette
" The trouble with too old ones,
" nursery stock of any description,
3. that, after the first years growth, I'll
I'd root extends long distance, and mo
'e of its fibers are at the farthest end, an
D. where they are sure to be lost in di
~ ging up. 1t would be entirely t.
I'd great labor to dig old nursery sto
a. beginning eight, ten or twelve feet ba'
o. on every side so as to get all the root
10 In fact, as the rows are 81 or four fe
u apart, the roots of one row Of tire
10 intertwine with those adjoining al
ty frequently go even farther. While Il
er tree is small, there is sprangle
to small feeding roots near the trul
which are easily taken up. If trar
K planted, these extend little eve
I'd year, but still keep near enough t
e. main stem to DO taken up. In this vi
IT. only two or three year old vine
nursery tree may be kept in conditit
~ for transplanting. Nursery-men ha
learned the advantage of subsoilil
he among their stock. running one furrt
as in the centre of the space between
n rows This root prunes the tree a
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